Plain English Breakdown
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Medi-Cal Dental Reimbursement for Home Visits
This law requires increasing the payment Medi-Cal gives to dentists who travel to a patient's home or care facility instead of seeing them at their office.
What This Bill Does
- Increases the base reimbursement rate from $20 to at least $120 per visit for dental services provided in a patient's residence or extended care facility.
- Requires the state department to adjust this payment amount every two years based on inflation and provider costs.
- Mandates that the department report to the Legislature every two years about how these changes affect access, service use, and emergency room visits for dental issues.
Who It Names or Affects
- Dental providers who travel to patients' homes or facilities under Medi-Cal
- Medi-Cal beneficiaries receiving care outside of a dental office
- The State Department of Health Care Services
Terms To Know
- Reimbursement base rate
- The amount of money the government pays back to a provider for a specific service.
- House/extended care facility call
- A visit where a dentist travels to treat a patient at their home or in a long-term care building instead of an office.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law cannot take effect until the state approves funding and receives necessary federal approvals.
- Future payment amounts depend on data about inflation and provider costs that will be collected later.